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MAYA ANGELOU’S STRUGGLE TO BE AN INDEPENDENT
WOMAN AS SEEN IN SINGIN’ AND SWINGIN’ AND GETTIN’
MERRY LIKE CHRISTMAS: A FEMINIST STUDY
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements
for the Degree of SarjanaSastra
in English Letters
By
MARIA YASINTA ADVENTIANA
Student Number: 104214028
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2017
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“I’M ONE WITH THE FORCE. THE FORCE IS WITH ME”
-Chirrut Îmwe, 2016 -
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I dedicate this work for my
parents, my sister, and for all who
support me
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to give my deepest gratitude to my Lord who has
helped me in this journey. Second, I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Drs.
Hirmawan Wijarnaka M. Hum, for his kindness and patience to guide me during
the process of writing this thesis. I also thank Adventina Putranti, S.S., M. Hum.
who also advised me and lead me during the process of revision. My appreciation
also goes for all the English Letters Department lectures who kindly shared the
knowledge with me.
My biggest love goes to my parents, Ir. Husindjaja Bunadi and Jenawati,
for their support through the prayers and trust to finished my study. To my two
little sisters who are not little anymore, Monica Pascalia and Elisabeth Natalia
Christie, thank you for anything that both of you give to me.
My thank also go to my enemy, my partner, and my best friend, Bowiel
Ha. Thank you for the help, support, love and trust you gave to finished this
thesis.
My love also goes to Tyas, Niki, Dastin, Kidung, Budhe Nana and Kelas
Pagi family, !nsane Production and PKTVS for the support and time you gave to
help me finished this thesis. Thank for pak e Anton Ismail for the wifi in Kelas
Pagi that helped me to find the ideas and inspiration in my writing and my work.
Thank you for all of you that help me and believe me that I can do anything in my
life.
Maria Yasinta Adventiana
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITTLE PAGE .............................................................................................. i
APPROVAL PAGE ...................................................................................... ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ................................................................................. iii
LEMBAR PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ILMIAH ..................................... iv
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ............................................................ v
MOTTO PAGE ............................................................................................. vi
DEDICATION PAGE ................................................................................... vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................... viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................. ix
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................... xi
ABSTRAK ....................................................................................................... xii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 1
A. Background of the Study .................................................................. 1
B. Problem Formulation ........................................................................ 5
C. Objectives of the study ...................................................................... 5
D. Definition of Terms ........................................................................... 6
1. Feminist study ............................................................................ 6
2. Struggle ...................................................................................... 6
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ............................................ 7
A. Review of Related Studies ................................................................ 7
B. Review of Related Theories .............................................................. 8
1. Theory of Character and Characterization ................................. 8
2. Theory of Feminist Study .......................................................... 11
C. Theoretical Framework ..................................................................... 13
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ............................................................ 15
A. Object of the Study ........................................................................... 15
B. Approach of the Study ...................................................................... 16
C. Method of the Study .......................................................................... 17
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ......................................................................... 19
A. Maya Angelou and Tosh Characters and Their Relationship ........... 20
1. Maya Angelou ......................................................................... 20
a. Hard-working and Strong .................................................. 20
b. Optimistic .......................................................................... 22
c. Religious ........................................................................... 24
d. Smart and Talented ........................................................... 25
2. Tosh ......................................................................................... 27
a. Attractive ........................................................................... 27
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b. Loveable ............................................................................ 28
3. The Marriage of Maya Angelou and Tosh .............................. 29
B. Maya Angelou is Struggle to be an Independent Woman ................ 32
1. Maya Angelou’ trigger for being an Independent woman ...... 33
a. Divorce ............................................................................. 33
b. Believe .............................................................................. 35
c. Economy ........................................................................... 36
2. The Independence of Maya Angelou ................................... 37
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION .................................................................... 44
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... 46
APPENDIX .................................................................................................... 48
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ABSTRACT
ADVENTIANA, MARIA YASINTA. MAYA ANGELOU’S STRUGGLE TO
BE AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN AS SEEN IN SINGIN’ AND SWINGIN’
AND GETTIN’ MERRY LIKE CHRISTMAS : A FEMINIST STUDY.
Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University,
2017.
Singin’ And Swingin’ And Gettin Merry Like Christmas is an
autobiography novel which becomes the representation of the woman role. This
novel describe how a woman struggles to find her movement as an independent
woman. Maya Angelou described herself as a hard worker woman who tried so
hard to fulfill their life for herself and her only son, Clyde. Her marriage and her
divorced were a start for her to find the true self.
Therefore, there are two problem formulations that become the main
discussion of this thesis. The first is to find out the characteristics of Maya
Angelou and Tosh, and also their marriage in the Singin’ And Swingin’ And Gettin
Merry Like Christmas novel. The second is to find out what triggers Maya
Angelou to struggle for being an independent woman. The triggers of Maya
Angelou struggle are her divorce, belief, and her economy issues.
In this analysis, the writer uses two kinds of resources, the primary and
secondary source. The main resource is the Singin’ And Swingin’ And Gettin
Merry Like Christmas novel itself, and secondary source are the references books
and sites from internet that support the analysis. In this analysis, the writer uses
two theories, there are the theory of character and the theory of feminism. Related
to the topic, the approach that is use to analyze the problem formulation is
feminist studies.
This study concludes that Maya Angelou is hard-working, strong,
religious, smart and talented. Tosh himself is an attractive and lovable person. The
marriage of Maya Angelou and Tosh is a bridge for Maya Angelou’s movement to
be her trigger as an independent woman in a person and a career.
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ABSTRAK
ADVENTIANA, MARIA YASINTA. MAYA ANGELOU’S STRUGGLE TO
BE AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN AS SEEN IN SINGIN’ AND SWINGIN’
AND GETTIN’ MERRY LIKE CHRISTMAS : A FEMINIST STUDY.
Yogyakarta; Program Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata
Dharma, 2017.
Singin’ And Swingin’ And Gettin Merry Like Christmas adalah novel
autobiografi yang menjadi gambaran bagaimana peran wanita sebenarnya. Novel
ini mengambarkan bagaimana perjuangan seorang wanita untuk menjadi wanita
yang mandiri. Maya Angelou menggambarkan dirinya sebagai wanita pekerja
keras yang berusaha untuk memenuhi kebutuhan hidup dirinya dan anak
tunggalnya, Clyde. Pernikahan dan perceraian adalah awal dimana dia mencari
jati dirinya yang sebenarnya.
Disini, ada dua pokok permasalahan yang enjadi topik utama dalam
skripsi ini. Yang pertama, adalah untuk mencari karakteristik Maya Angelou dan
Tosh, dan hubungan pernikahan mereka dalam buku Singin’ And Swingin’ And
Gettin Merry Like Christmas. Yang kedua adalah untuk mencari tau hal apa yang
memancing perjuangan Maya Angelou menjadi wanita yang mandiri.
Dalam penelitian ini, penulis menggunakan dua macam sumber, sumber
utama dan sumber tambahan yang bisa mendukung penulisannya. Sumber
utamanya adalah buku Singin’ And Swingin’ And Gettin Merry Like Christmas itu
sendiri, sedangkan sumber kedua adalah buku-buku referensi dan situs yang
mendukung penulisan. Dalam penelitian ini, penulis menggunakan dua teori, yaitu
teori karakteristik dan teori feminisme. Berkaitan dengan topik utama, pendekatan
yang dipakai untuk menganalisa pokok permasalahan ini adalah studi feminisme.
Hasil dari penelitian ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa Maya Angelou adalah
seorang wanita yang pekerja keras, kuat, religius, cerdas, dan berbakat. Tosh
sendiri adalah seorang yang atraktif dan mudah dicintai. Hubungan pernikahan
antara Maya Angelou dan Tosh adalah jembatan pergerakan Maya Angelou untuk
menjadi seorang yang mandiri secara pribadi juga karir.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Literature is an art, we can read it, enjoy it, appreciate it, and think about
it. The simple definition of literature is “literature as everything in print” (Wellek
and Warren, 1992: 20). Literature is the art of evoking in the reader images and
feelings similar to those of the writer himself (Laar, 1963: 173). There are no clear
answers in literature, all things in the literature written by the author based on the
data, information, and experiences of the author. While literature used for
educational things, the most important reason for the reader is the pleasure time
when read the literature.
Novel is an example of literature work we can easy to find in the library
and the bookstore because of the popularity in the society.
“Novel is a work of art in so far as it introduces us into living world: in
some respect resembling the world we live in, but with an individuality
of its own” (Laar, 1963: 163).
The cognitive value from reading novel is the novel can affect our way of
thinking. . “The novelist can teach you more about human nature than the
psychologist” (Wellek and Warren,1992: 33). The characteristic of novels are the
explanation of “a greater of variety of characters, greater complication of plot (or
plots), ampler development of milieu, and more sustained exploration of
characters and motives” (Abrams, 1981: 130). A novel as a work of literature is a
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writing form that is contains of many elements, such as theme, plot, character,
conflict, setting, and symbol.
Autobiography is one of novel terms that present a biography written by
the author about herself. According to A Glossary of Literary Terms,
autobiography is “a day-to-day record of the events in a person‟s life written for
his own use and pleasure, with little or no thought of publication” (Abrams, 1981:
15).
A novel entitled Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas
by Maya Angelou is a serious but entertaining novel autobiography, and tells
about life adventure. Maya Angelou as the main character and a writer success to
describe her complicated life to be an entertaining reading. She gave us many
inspiring lesson about humanity from her ability to control her life, feelings,
attitudes and beliefs.
“Maya Angelou as one of the black people, experiences the oppression
directly. She experiences the racist oppression in society, job, and family
in the world that is dominated by the whites” (Trisnanti, 2006:56)
Her social experiences make her social oppression as a working single
mother is real. Concerning with the issues of feminism, the main character of the
novel considered as feminist woman. All issues that happen to her make her
strong and she could struggle to the next step of her success stories. Maya
Angelou is a young single mother who is smart, strong, and independent with her
success and marks her as a feminist character. “I am a feminist. I‟ve been a female
for a long time now, it‟d be stupid not to be on my own side” (Angelou,
statepress.com:2015). This study is going to examine how feminist woman in this
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novel can survive from the pressure and oppression of a movement as an
independent single mother.
Meanwhile, independent crisis becomes a dominant factor in the
construction of this feminist main character in this novel. How a social statement
and economy problem is the oppression of Maya Angelou‟s life. She constructs
her identity by struggling from all oppression around her. In this case, her ex-
husband, Tosh, is the main concern from our main character to build her struggle.
They were marriage from 1948 until 1952.
Tosh is Angelou‟s ex-husband. He is her layer in the story that help
Angelou build her character as an independent woman. Her divorce makes a big
effect to her. When she felt the marriage is not the right place for her she ended.
She knows to stop from her safe place and try another things suits her. The
differences between Angelou and Tosh make the divorce is the only answer for
them to get another chance for their life.
The term of independent and struggle issues could understand as the
movement from our main character to life as a part of a responsibility in the
family system. As such, housework is inseparable from women‟s life, as it has
become the responsibility and not only as women‟s rights in the structure of the
family life. Thus, independent and struggle issues of feminist women in question
reflect the spirit of the family problems in the society oppression.
Therefore, feminism perspective that brings a great influence in the main
character movement to live according her authorities thought. It seems the main
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character has a young traumatic memory from her past, use this event as a
platform to make her life movement. How she built herself as an independent
women reach her career and get many achievements in her own way. All steps
that she had to gets all achievement based on her hard work as a woman. She is
trying to do anything alone and with her power she can gets anything that she
deserves.
”It was not gender discrimination or sexist oppression that kept
privileged women of all races from working outside the home, it was the
fact that the jobs that would have been available to them would have
been the same low paying unskilled labor open to all working women.”
(Hooks, 2000:38)
How the show business make her alive when she is alone without any
man with her. Her perspective and experiences becomes the agent of this
ideological life. Although it cannot be separate from the consequences of her own
son, life with no men authority in the house and many time without her mother
make another problem and culture for her son. This is the negative side that she
had when she doing anything herself. Although, Angelou is trying so hard to
make all thing balance and she can show it in the final chapter. How finally she
can handle anything into balance for her work and for her son.
Maya Angelou is a good role model for all women who want to make a
simple movement for her, she is a great single mother with a good career and
artwork. Her struggle to have independence life based on her experience as wife
and a single working mother is the example of a woman who can move on from
all pains and all failure that happen in the past. She is an author, historian, poet,
performer, singer, producer, director, songwriter and civil right activist. She had
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her own way to voicing her feeling and her struggle, Angelou show us what is the
gender equality. How to be a mother and a father at the same time. Her struggle
makes big influences for reader to get much positive energy from her writing.
B. Problem Formulation
Based the aims of the study, the problem formulation are formulated as
follows:
1. How are Maya Angelou and Tosh‟s characters and their marriage described in
the autobiography novel?
2. What factors trigger off Maya Angelou‟s struggle to be an independent
woman?
C. Objectives of Study
The aims of the study are to find how the character of Maya Angelou as
the main character of the novel, and the relationship of Maya Angelou as a single
worker mother and her husband, Tosh, described in this novel. Moreover, to find
how a man can influences all things in her life as an independent woman and
shows how man can distract a woman but also can help to build a new strong
character to a woman.
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D. Definition of Terms
There are some terms need to be explained in analyzing Maya Angelou‟s
Singin’ and Singin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas to avoid misunderstanding
and give clear explanation.
1. Feminist Study
Feminism study is interdisciplinary based on the social theory that
addresses the board question of how and why women come to be subordinate, and
offers analysis of the social and cultural processes through which that
subordinated is perpetuated (Jackson, 1993: xv).
2. Struggle
According to Spicer and Fleming struggle is the freedom fighting to get
the noble of goodies and maintain themselves to survive. In this study, struggle
means the efforts of Marguerite to achieve her career and her live as a woman.
(Spicer, jbs.cam.ac.uk: 2006)
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A. Review of Related Studies
This part contains criticism about the work from the author and the
works. The criticism consists of agreement, judgment, comment or criticism of the
work. In this section there are some short quotation taken from articles and
journals.
According to The Heart of the Matter: Motherhood and Marriage in the
Autobiographies of Maya Angelou, Maya Angelou‟s autobiography shows the
oppression being a black working female to earn a decent living for her little
family. “Thus, contrary to the white cult „true womanhood‟.....-when productive
work was seen as incompatible with motherhood-black motherhood always
encompassed work” (Koyana, 2009: 69). This essay argues that Maya Angelou‟s
experiences with her motherhood, her work and the statement of how a family
works suppose to be. Maya ideal of a glamorous Hollywood marriage is also a
fantasy – she admits was „based on a Hollywood film, Circa 1940 (Angelou,
1977: 51) – it is also a fantasy that reflect her mother‟s influence on her (Koyana ,
2009: 74).
From all series other autobiography Angelou demonstrated how her
motherhood movement for working-class black women. “Her rebellious decision
to work not only demonstrates how successfully she reclaims her independence,
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but also her pragmatism as she faces her reality squarely, instead of perpetuating
illusions of grandeur.” (Koyana, 2009: 77).
In this research, the writer aims to reveal the struggle of women based on
her action and her characteristics in Singin’ and Singin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like
Christmas which reflect the ideas of feminist. Since the previous researches that
have been mentioned in this chapter focus on the oppression of Maya Angelou
working single black women, the writer will concentrate on the step of Maya
Angelou achieve her independences as a women. Maya Angelou has been
described as hard worker, independent, and rebel in the previous criticism, this is
why shows Maya Angelou‟s action as the part to reveal her struggle as a women
is interesting in this writing.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Character and Characterization
In discussing literature, the term of character is applied to shows the
quality of the character, his development, or his attitudes toward others, or his
effect upon them. “Characters are the life of literature: they are the objects of our
curiosity and fascination, affection and dislike, admiration and condemnation”
(Bennett, 2004: 60). The terms “character” is commonly used two ways: it
designates the individuals who appear in the story and moral principles that makes
up each of these individuals (Stanton, 1965: 17). The word „character‟: just as the
word „person‟ has a double and paradoxical signification, so „character‟ means
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letter and sign, a mark of writing, and the „essential‟ qualities of a „person‟
(Bennett, 2004: 63)
Every author wants us as the reader understand his character and the
movement of the character, but the author will write it directly to the reader at
once. In generally, character is an extended verbal representation of a human
being, the inversely that determines thought, speech, and behavior (Roberts, 1965:
143). A character may remain essentially “stable”, or unchanged in his outlook
and dispositions, from the beginning to end of a work, or he may go a radical
change, either through a gradual development or as the result of an extreme crisis
(Abrams, 1981: 20). Story built from many layers of character buildings.
Based on M. J. Murphy, Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to
English Poetry and the Novel for Overseas Students, there are nine ways for an
author attempts to make the characters understandable and come alive. (Murphy,
1972: 161-173). Those are:
a. Personal Description
The author can describe a person‟s appearance and clothes.
b. Character as seen by another
The author describes the character directly to the reader through the eyes
and opinions of another character. The reader gets, as it were, a reflected image.
c. Speech
The author can give us an insight into the character of one of the person
in the book through what the person says. Whenever a person speaks, whenever
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he is in conversation with another, whenever he puts forward an opinion, he is
giving us some clue to his character.
d. Past Life
By letting the reader learn, something about a person‟s past life the
author can give us a clue to events that have helped to shape a person‟s character.
It can seen by the author, through the person‟s thought, through his conversation
of through the medium of another person.
e. Conversations of Other
The author can also give us clues to a person‟s character through the
conversation of other people and the things they say about him.
f. Reaction
The author can also give us a clue to a person‟s character by letting us
know how that person reacts to various situations and events,
g. Direct Comment
The author can describe or comment on a person‟s character directly.
h. Thought
The author can give us direct knowledge of what a person thinking about.
In this respect, he is able to do what we cannot do in real life. The reader than is in
privilege position to listening in the most thought of a person in the novel.
i. Mannerism
The author can describe a person mannerism, habits or idiosyncrasies
which may also tell us something about his character.
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2. Feminist Study
According to the Feminism, A Reader by Maggie Humm, Feminisms is
an interdisciplinary reader containing extracts from a wide range of past and
present feminist writers, many of which are collected together for the first time
(Humm, 1992: xi). Moreover, feminist literary criticism itself is a study of the
direct product of the “woman‟s movement”. This movement realized the
significance of the images of women promulgated by literature, and saw it as vital
to combat them and question their authority and their coherence.
Sara Mills stated that most feminist hold a belief that women as a group
are treated oppressively and differently, feminists also believe that society is
organized in such a way that it works, in general. Feminist theory has been
concerned with analyzing the way that different forms of oppression and/or
discrimination may overlap and interact with form of sexism (Mills,1995:3).
The first movement women are objects, sometime victims of mistaken
social knowledge. In the second movement, women are challenging that
„knowledge‟ from the strength of their own experience (Humm, 1992: 11). It‟s the
sexual politics and roles who contributes the new ideological to make the
difference to the social order, it could not come from religion, stated Kate Millett
in her article (Humm, 1992: 61). A philosopher assumes that feminist revolution
is „the demand for justice is a modification of envy‟. Sex roles are part of the
system of the social community. This is a terms about their fear, enshrine their
past and stamp themselves with a sense of „people hood‟.
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“Sex roles must be viewed as an interdependent part of the logic-
meaningful system that defines and gives direction to a people‟s life. If
this system of meaning develops in the absence of forces threatening
social survival, women wield economic and political power or authority
and the power relationship between the sexes is balance.” (Humm, 1992:
86)
Feminist social theory addresses the board question of how and why
women come to be subordinated, and offers analyses of the social and culture
processes through which that subordination‟ is perpetuated (Jackson, 1993: 3).
The actual expressions of power by women (or by any oppressed group) were
significant and produced a different kind of power (Porter, 2005: 3).
According to Beauvoir, the majority of women do not escape from the
traditional feminine world; they get from neither society nor their husbands the
assistance they would need to become in concrete fact the equals of men
(Beauvoir, 1989: 680). The advantage of male support make many women will
give up her work and become a kept woman. She often retains both source of
income and services, she is really in double servitude: to job and to protector. For
the marriage woman who gets the male contributions or for the girl who “makes
something on the side”, both of them gains complete independence through her
own effort (Beauvoir, 1989: 681).
Women are being treated unequally until now. This is one of the reasons
that feminism writing are rising up. From the book of Beginning Theory by Peter
Barry, feminism approach builds to represent woman as a part of equality in the
social. In feminism criticism in 1970s, the major effort went into exposing what
might called the mechanism of patriarchy. This is about to change the perspective
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of mind set of the inequality between men and women, or called as „mechanism of
patriarchy‟ (Barry, 2002: 122). Barry also stated in his book, in the history of
writing a feminine phase (1940-80), in which women writers imitated dominant
male artistic norms and aesthetic standards; then a feminist phase (1980-1920), in
which radical and often separatist positions are maintained; and finally a female
phase (1920 onwards) which looked particularly at female writing and female
experience (Barry, 2002: 123).
Relations between women writer and the feminist movement cannot
separate. Their experiences as women thought them to maintain themselves as the
part of this movement. This movement was important for the feminist literary
approach. The significance of the images of women promulgated by literature,
and saw it as vital to combat them and question their authority and their coherence
(Barry, 2002: 121). Feminist writing is made to draw any attention from either
women or men, and change the way that gender is represented. Women‟s writing
is not only about the authorial work but also about a new category in the class of
writing.
C. Theoretical Framework
One of the theories that writer uses to help her analyze the novel is
character and characterization theories. This theory will help the writer to
understand the impact of the other character to the main character. The character
theory was use for help the writer to analyze more about how anything around the
character systematically to represent character‟s personality. In addition, the
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feminism theory in here will be helping the writer to explain the function of a
working mother and the relation of her own life and her son.
When analyzing the problem formulated, which were formulate in
chapter I, the writer focused in Maya Angelou and Clyde‟s characters and the
importance of Clyde as Maya Angelou‟s child and the impact from Clyde to Maya
Angelou‟s life. To answering the problem formulation the writer will uses some
theories that will provide clear analysis. In addition, the writer also uses other
criticism of the novel, that were obtained from article in internet and book
searching that contributes writer‟s analysis to get other difference perspectives of
the Maya Angelou‟s novel.
The most important theory that writer use to analyze the Singin’ and
Swingin’ and Gettin’ Marry Like Christmas is feminism theory. This theory used
for analyzing the problem of the struggle of Maya Angelou as an independent
single mother. It is useful to know how this independent movement values in the
society and how the ideas of feminism used to portray this culture.
In conclusion, by applying the related studies and the theories as the base
or the writing, the writer assumes that all data in here can help her to solve the
questions that formulated in the problem formulation.
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
This thesis analyzed the third autobiography of Maya Angelou, Singin’
and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Marry Like Christmas. Maya Angelou is a famous
African – American writer. She is also a poet, dancer, singer, actress, producer,
director, and scriptwriter. Angelou received several honors and awards for her
outstanding literary work, one of her big event is in 1992, just the day after Bill
Clinton was elected as president of United State of America, she got a request to
wrote a poet for his inauguration January and read it at the ceremony. Then in
2010, President Barack Obama named her a recipient of the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, the country's highest civilian honors.
She gets her name as Maya Angelou after her debut performance in
Purple Onion as a dancer. Her born name is Marguirite Annie Johnson. She born
on April 4, 1928 and died on Mei 28, 2014. Angelou graduated with top honors
from the Lafayette County Training School in 1940. Maya Angelou is a single
mother from the South who goes to California and performing for a living.
In this research, the writer will analyzed Angelou‟s third book Singin’
and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Marry Like Christmas by Maya Angelou. The book that
the writer uses is the first edition printed by A Bantam Book. This book consists
of 242 pages that are divides by 30 chapters. The writer put the summary and the
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16
explanation about the book Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Marry Like
Christmas by Maya Angelou in the Appendix chapter.
B. Approach of the Study
In analyzing Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Marry Like Christmas, the
writer applies feminist literary approach, as the basis of the analysis. Feminist
approach is used in this study for provide the analysis from the theories were
chosen. It is the most suitable one since the writer focuses on the idea from the
feminist study. Feminist study is used to explain how position of women
experiences the oppression of the social, status, and economy based on their
experiences. This approach leads us to questioning women‟s emancipations as an
object to challenges that knowledge from the strength of their own experience. I
use this approach to dig out the main character‟s personality, life pattern, thought,
and behavior. That is why I apply the feminist approach to find out how
Angelou‟s personality and her movement to reach her movement to gets her
independent.
By using this approach, writer finds out how feminist literary approach is
the most suitable approach for the study, because this book clearly describes how
Maya Angelou struggle to get her independent live for her little family with her
own way to gets any opportunity that suit her. In this analysis, the writer is also
able to analyze Maya Angelou‟s life experience through her actions and activity
step by step to gets her independent life for her little family, Clyde and herself.
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Thus, feminist approach help this analysis to reveal the ideas of feminism
reflected through the main character and all character that built her up.
C. Method of the Study
The sources of this study are books, journals, and articles in printed
materials or no printed source from library and internet. The data combined to the
complete the study to analyze than finally written into a thesis. The analysis
writing consisted of V chapters. The primary source of the study is the
autobiography novel entitled Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Marry Like
Christmas written by Maya Angelou herself.
The first step in this analysis was reading this autobiography novel as the
primary object of the study for several times to understand the story very well and
to find the main data that related with the research. In analyzing the problem of
the study, the writer focused in Maya Angelou‟s and Tosh character, in their
experiences as husband and wife. Then, the writer formulated some question
based on the part of the writer interested most. To help provide to answer the
problem formulation, the writer used some theories from several books after
collecting the data from the primary novel.
The next step was answer the first problem formulation, how are Maya
Angelou and Tosh character as the primary character of the novel by using the
theory of character. In addition, in addition in the first problem formulation, the
writer will focused to describe the marriage of Maya Angelou and Tosh as a
marriage couple.
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Then, from the evidences from all data that writer had to answer the first
problem formulation, the writer found the key point to answer the last problem
formulation. The writer analyzed how Maya Angelou‟s marriage trigger her
struggle for being an independent woman and combined with the feminism study
ideas. Last step of the analysis, the writer made a conclusion based on the result of
the research from the chapter one until chapter four.
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CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas tells about the
life of African American single mother who struggle with her independence in her
career as an traveler entertainer. This chapter divided into two parts which are the
answer from the problem formulations in chapter one. The first part analyzes
about the characteristics and the marriage of the two main characters in the novel,
Maya Angelou and Tosh. The last part discusses the practices of Maya Angelou
struggles and motivation being an independent woman.
Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas is an
autobiography novel, and of course because it has written by Maya Angelou
herself. It makes Angelou is the main character in this book. She shows the reader
how different she is with other characters in the book. She is capable make herself
as the main attention for the reader. From the theory of character that are
mentioned in the related theory chapter, Maya Angelou is the round character of
the book. She represents herself in the wholeness in her difference aspect, and her
higher achieving is difference with other character that mentioned on her book.
Through Maya Angelou and Tosh personal contact and through other
character in the novel, we can get many things about these two characters. Based
on the M.J Murphy theory of character, the writer analyze this two
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20
character based on their action, opinion, conversations, thought and anything that
they did written in the novel.
A. Maya Angelou and Tosh Characters and Their Relationship
This part is divide into three two subchapters. The first subchapter aims
to answer the descriptions of Maya Angelou (Marguerite) and Tosh as the main
characters. In the second part, the writer will describe the marriage of our main
character. It consists of the general description of Marguerite and Tosh
specifically their husband and wife‟s relationship as husband and wife.
1. Maya Angelou
Maya Angelo as a main character and the writer in this novel
autobiography could describe herself as someone unique and different with other
character identities in the book. From her real life, she tries to describe herself
character in her own way and the character will be adopted by the reader. She
creates her character in the book based on her memory, and sends it to the reader
as a unique, vibrant and memorable character. This is why the writer chooses
Maya Angelou as a unique character to represent something big and different
from other character in the book. She is hard-working, strong, dreamer, religious,
and smart.
a. Hard-working and Strong
In Singin’ and Singin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas, Maya Angelou
is the major character of her own autobiography novel. She is present as a hard-
working and strong woman. Her hard work shows us her power as a woman. Her
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hard work shows the reader how hard her life is, “I had done many things to make
a living, but I drew a line at cleaning white folks‟ houses.”(Angelou, 1977: 5). She
is doing anything for her needs. She needs money, she needs to have a life, and
she must go to work. Her background as a black woman who always be in the
second working class does not make her to stop trying to make her life. Her hard-
working characteristic is show through her one job to another job. Her hard work
is to supply her son‟s daily need, like food, school, proper home and a baby sitter.
“My son was born when I was sixteen, and determined to raise him, I had
worked as a shake dancer in night clubs, fry cook in hamburger joints,
dinner cook in a Creole restaurant and one had a job in a mechanic‟s
shop, taking paint off cars in my hands” (Angelou, 1977: 25).
In her teenager‟s life, she tries anything to raise her son. Working in the
many places is her world. She is a mother but also a father for her only son. She
could work as a man. She did the labor work as a sexy dancer, cook, and a
mechanic. The dirty work she did in her young age, make her survive as a woman
and as a mother. “My life was an assemblage of strivings and my energies were
directed toward acquiring more than basic needs” (Angelou, 1977: 13). She did
not have the security of her need in her age. The poverty is not only a theory for
her, but also the reality that she face it. “The tough texture of poverty in my life
had been more real than sand wedged in my teeth” (Angelou, 1977: 15).
Having a new start of living as a new wife makes her trying so hard to
make everything in the right place. She shows to the reader that she try to make
balance to her family, she devote all her time and her intelligence for her family.
She is surrendering more from her territory and her independence; she was lay
aside her fight as a black people. Angelou try to ignore the physical appearances
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of her, she just doing anything good and right to be a good, obedient, dutiful wife.
The most important things in that happy time for Angelou are her family.
After the divorce, Angelou focused her life only for her son and her
career. All things that she did based on the needs for their living. Her power to
doing anything that she thinks possible for her, all based from her son. Her
responsible as a single mother is not only about her appearance of her to her son,
but also to fulfill their needs for living. “I have a son at home. I have to send
money to his keep” (Angelou, 1977: 157). She needs money after Tosh leave,
when her saving almost empty she knows she needs a job. Angelou first job after
Tosh is dancer and LC (Lady Escort) in the nightclub in San Francisco, Garden of
Allah, for 75 dollar a week and ten until fifteen bucks a night for every bottle that
she sell every night. She is not a drinker, but to get the job she did not say
anything, “If I told the man I didn‟t drink, I lose the job.” (Angelou, 1977: 50)
b. Optimistic
Angelou also is an optimistic. She believed that she would have a better
life for her son and herself. She believed “that marriage would give me a world
free from danger, disease and want (Angelou, 1977: 14). Her believe and her
dream make her an optimistic person, her confident to expecting the best is a
power for her to achieve anything that she want. Young single mother, Angelou
who dreams about a good structure of a family. She lived in the fantasy of the
structure of a stable family. “That was my house and it was vacant. If Mr. Right
would come along right now, soon we could move in and truly begin to live”
(Angelou 1977: 14). The hope to find her Mr. Right she kept it inside of her
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without any effort to gets the dream that she want. For Angelou, Mr. Right is an
impossibility that she could get it. The things that she could do is dreaming to
reach it, “dreamed of being „one man‟s woman‟,-- In the record store, I lived
fantasy lives through the maudlin melodies of the forties and fifties” (Angelou,
1977: 13-14).
Angelou‟s opinion about the reality of the race relationship is the reason
why marriage is a big dream for her, “as far as I knew, white women were never
lonely, except in books. White men adored them, black men desired them and
black women worked for them” (Angelou, 1977: 3). In this condition of the sexual
position for the black women did not make her stop to have her own complete
family.
When she reaches her dream as a part of the family society, happiness is
the word for described her choice to marriage Tosh. Happiness is the simple word
that Angelou want for her life. She wants to contribute herself as a member of a
social family statement of a good family. “I had a son, a father for him, a husband
and a pretty home for us to live in. My life began to resemble a Good
Housekeeping advertisement” (Angelou, 1977: 26). Her marriage dream was a
simple dream in a society, a kind, intelligent, and reliable husband. The stability
of life is a dream for her.
She is also a loveable mother. She understands what the best for her son
and she knows what to do. She tries so many things to make something good and
right for her son. This is her responsible to make all things was right for her son.
This is not only about the daily need but also about the psychology needs of her
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son. For the example in the chapter 3, when Clyde shows his feeling and envy
about his hair, then compare it with his father‟s hair. Her mother said, “My son
thought that the white‟s straight hair was better than his natural abundant curl
(Angelou, 1977: 30), she promised to get her son a close cut on their next visit to
the barber to lose his son‟s envy. This action was the evidence that Angelou give
her concern to her son‟s confidence and make him proud to himself.
c. Religious
One of the reasons of Angelou divorces was the differences of their
belief. In their first year of marriage, Tosh show Clyde that God did not exist.
Because Tosh had been a debater in his university, Angelou did not want to argue
him, her things that she has not a same power. She is surrender of the God
discussion, yet she believes the existing of God. Her religious background from
her slavery great-grand-mother, who told her of praying silently under old wash
pots, and of secret meetings deep in the wood to praise God (Angelou, 1977: 28).
Because of her believe and needs, secretly she crawl to the neighbor
churches, to avoid his husband. “I changed sites each month, afraid too many
repeated visits would familiarize my face and that on some promenade with
Tosh...” (Angelou, 1977: 28). The ceremony drove all her heart to the placidity.
After the experiences of the joyful emotions, she felt cleansed, purged and new.
Her husband believes cannot handle her religiousness of her to God. Her
life after the church makes their home look pale. Like a secret agent, she has two
different jobs in her, as a wife who prepare all things in the house as usual and as
a churchgoers who love everything that happen in her religiousness. She find
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herself needed to God in church, “I felt very much in need of their prayers,
because I was sinner, a liar, and a hedonist, using the sacred altar to indulge my
sensuality.” (Angelou, 1977: 32). She felt so bad about her atheist husband and
Clyde, who follow his footsteps to be no believing to God.
“ Soon one morning when death comes walking in my room
Soon one morning when death comes walking in my room
Oh, my Lord,
Oh, my Lord,
What shall I do?” (Angelou, 1977; 33)
This is the song that Angelou mention in her book. This song represents
how she feels about all thing that happen in her life. This is for her fatherless son,
Clyde, who is growing without a hand of a man. For her loving mother, her
brother, and the last for herself “long and loudly”. The song made she come out
about who really she is. “I wrote down my real name, address and telephone
number” (Angelou, 1977: 34).
d. Smart and Talented
As a single mother, Maya Angelou presents herself as a perfect mother.
She tries to put herself in a good side of her to her son. His curious son makes
new challenges for her. His curiosity make him ask many question to her, include
look up his truly identity, based on his appearance. Clyde loves to shows
everybody about something that he interested in, “Clyde becomes a talker. He
talked to me, to the family, to stranger .... His discourses ranged over the subject
the subject of his life” (Angelou, 1977: 86). To deal with his son‟s curiosity
Angelou try so many way to make all thing explained well to him, sometimes lie.
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“Vainly I tried to explain the difference between lying and making up a
story, but decides it was more important that Clyde keep his nonexistent
buddy to lessen the loneliness of a only child”. (Angelou, 1977: 86)
She also a talented talker and seller. “Rita, you making more money than
other girls – no new girl makes this kind of money” (Angelou, 1977: 63). She is
success in her job as a seller of the alcohol drinks. She love to dance, she loves
her job in Garden of Allah. The Garden of Allah policy to sell the alcohol as much
as she can did not stop her to dance. She work for two month and stopped it
because she did not want to sleep with any customer in Garden of Allah, “I‟m
here because I have to work and because I love to dance” (Angelou, 1977:62).
Angelou can do anything for his son first, she needs the money and she did it well.
Her income from Garden of Allah shows us how talented she is in communication
of selling.
After she lost her job in Garden of Allah she met Veronica Lake, Jorie,
and she impress with Angelou‟s dance, “My dear, you dance divinely. Just
divine”. Jorie is the woman who brings Angelou to her next job in Purple Onion.
In the Jorie‟s party another character in the book, called Don, introduced Angelou
as an excellent talented entertainer, “Everybody, this is Rita. She‟s an artist, a
truly tremendous dancer” (Angelou, 1977: 68).
2. Tosh
Tosh is a minor character in the Maya Angelou‟s novel autobiography.
Based on the Abrams theory about characterization Tosh is the minor character,
because he is only appears in some setting in the book. He is appears in the
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middle of the chapter two as the introduction of his appearances, than in the
beginning of the chapter six his name was written in the book.
This character is less important than Maya Angelou itself as the main
character of her book. The importance of Tosh character in the book is to help
writer showing Angelou‟s character through her marriage. His characterization
occurs only when the author shows the character in the action, and to analyze
Tosh‟s characterization, the reader must interpret the information based on the
data from that written in the book.
a. Attractive
The word of attractive itself has many variety based on who see it and
classified as an attractive person. These classifications of Tosh as an attractive
person are based on Maya Angelou statements in her book. Tosh is a sensual
Greek sailor from Portland. “His dark hair and oval, sensual face reminded me of
Italian Renaissance painting (Angelou, 1977: 16). His physical appearance is
catchy in the eyes of Maya Angelou. His catchy appearance and his music
knowledge make single Angelou interest with his identity. He is neither white nor
black. His physical appearance is handsome. “He had thick black hair and the
slow, sloe eyes of Mediterranean people ... He was handsome” (Angelou, 1977:
22). In Angelou‟s statement, she shows the reader that Tosh is a good-looking
man in her eyes. His appearance attractiveness makes Angelou like him as a man.
In the real life, physical attractive and unattractive male are seen not only
about the appearance but also based on the communication to a subject that he
talks to. All messages to the subject indicate that the man is an attractive or
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unattractive person. These communications are seeing on both a verbal and
behavioral measure that shows to the target of communication. Tosh is smart and
he is a smart talker. “He said he liked to talk to me because I didn‟t lie” (Angelou,
1977: 21).He could deliver the messages to Angelou that he is attractive based on
how he talked. He can tantalize Angelou with his word of compliment. “He told
me I was beautiful ... My cooking received his highest praise and he laughed at
my wit (Angelou, 1977: 27).
Tosh ability as an effective communicator makes a plus value for a
female listener. The opinion about Tosh attractiveness of communication can we
find in the Angelou statement about Tosh appearance after the wedding. “He was
intelligent, kind and reliable. ... Conversation was easy” (Angelou, 1977: 27). He
knows how to compliment and react to Angelou, and all things that he did make
his as an attractive male for Angelou. His attractiveness as a good communicator
make Angelou get the signal of the man value from Tosh. Attractiveness is not
only about the physical appearance but also about the way of communication with
others.
b. Lovable
This loveable parameter based on Angelou‟s statement that she felt and
she shows it in her book. Tosh nature people believe into his personality is a gift.
How he could make a simple Clyde loves him and accept him as a father for him.
“My son and Tosh liked each other” (Angelou, 1977: 22). He said he liked some
children but in the book Angelou state that her son liked Tosh as a new man in
their life. He can place his loveable personality to Angelou‟s son with gentle. No
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longer after the marriage, Clyde can accept Tosh as a father for him. “Clyde began
calling Tosh „Daddy‟ ” (Angelou, 1977: 27).
The boundary that order by Tosh is not the main problem of Angelou‟s
marriage life. She can love Tosh as it is. “I came to love Tosh because he wrapped
us in a cocoon of safety, and I made no protest at the bound that were closing
around my existence” (Angelou, 1977: 27). Tosh know how to putting himself in
the right time and the right place in the Angelou and Clyde heart. Tosh‟s
boundaries cannot make Angelou‟s love distracted.
In the Angelou‟s hurt with Tosh for getting tired of being marriage, she
still believe that Tosh will look after her son. She left Clyde alone with Tosh when
she is hut with Tosh. “Tosh loves Clyde. He will look after him. He loves me too,
but I gave up too much and gave in too much” (Angelou, 1977: 41). In her hurt,
she still believes that Tosh still loved her and always loved her son too. This is the
evidence that Tosh is a lovable man for Angelou. Logically if a woman did not
believe that someone does not have any love to his son, she will not leave her son
to a man that she did not believe.
3. The Marriage of Maya Angelou and Tosh
Angelou herself stated in her book her feeling about the first impression
of the proposal, “since he was addressing me, yet the two words “you” and
“marry” had never said to me before” (Angelou, 1977: 24). This is the first
proposal that she gets from a man, a white Greek man. Her desire to try new
feeling and experiences of marriage make this the strong reason for Angelou to
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have a marriage. Marriage is an interesting experience for Angelou, when her
mother asked her truly reason for her marriage, she just said, “Because he asked
me, mother,” (Angelou, 1977: 25). Angelou seen this marriage as a new
experience that she can have in her life. A new man figure for her and her son.
The reason of Angelou‟s marriage are based from her responsibilities
background. As an independent woman, Maya Angelou expends her energy with
many responsibilities to against the world. In her position she must doing all
things by herself. Like a male, she needs not only to satisfy her physical desires
but also to enjoy the relaxation to provide her to have any sexual adventures.
Angelou past as a victim of rape and never marriage before make her want to have
this adventures for her own as a new future for herself. Sex and economic is the
reason why Angelou want to try the marriage with Tosh.
“At last I was a housewife, legally a member of that enviable tribe of
consumers ..., because their husband brought home the bacon.” (Angelou, 1977:
26). The tradition of patriarchal culture in society, make Angelou obsess with this
opportunity to try the advantages of masculine support. How Angelou so easy fall
into the tradition of husband and wife in the society. This marriage is a new hope
for Angelou to try the feeling of safety
Sexual relationship in the marriage is a step of happiness of a marriage.
These relations were found to have positive and significant correlation. This is
important for the writer to input this analysis to this analysis. Sex is the factor of
their divorced that Angelou‟s specify implicitly in the book. Sex is a new fun stuff
for Angelou. “He came directly home from work each afternoon and in the
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evening after my son was asleep I found as much enjoyment in our marital bed as
he” (Angelou, 1977: 34-35). As a victim of rape in her past, marital sex is a new
thing that happens in her marriage life. This experience make Angelou‟s can feel
the process of the marriage like anybody who in the marriage tradition.
Love is interpreting as a feeling or emotion toward a member of opposite
sex. This feeling and the emotion interconnected with each other in the
relationship. The spiritual value of love is important in the marriage life. When
the spirit is only in the one side of the relationship, the foundation of love will go
in this marriage relationship. Sex itself is not the based conflict of them, but sex
itself is the one of point why they are divorced. Sex is a sharing, not only a
responsibility of the marital life, but also the right to gets. Based on the Angelou
writing the spirit of their sex relationship is only one-way relation. “The form was
there, but the spirit had disappeared” (Angelou, 1977: 35). Marriage sex is an
expression of physical passion between a man and a woman. Sexual satisfaction is
important in the intimate marriage life. Low sexual satisfaction can even increase
the marital instability and be the reason of divorces.
There was no explanation about the two sides of Angelou and Tosh‟s
sexual behavior and relation. A simple statement from Angelou in her book, about
her sexual life before the divorce is interesting. “I was compliant, never offering
headaches as excuses for not sharing the marital bed” (Angelou, 1977: 37). This
statement shows us how Angelou felt about her sexual relationship in her marital
life. Angelou statements show us that she is not getting the relationship
satisfaction. Tosh cannot provide the sexual satisfaction that Angelou must have
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in their relationship. It was important for Tosh to identify his partner condition to
build and maintain their successful intimate relationships. Then, it is important for
Angelou to mention anything that she felt about herself to fulfill the stability in
their sexual life. She is never complaint and shares her needs to her husband and
Tosh himself is an ignorance husband. Tosh incompetence of his wife‟s need
make Tosh is an irresponsible husband. Tosh commonsense of their marital
relationship is the factor of their beak up. The missing link of their
communication makes another problem in their marital bed.
Angelou did her sexual relation with her husband as a duty to fulfill her
work as a dutiful wife. Angelou limitation as a wife who sometimes have a bad
condition in her body did not make her sickness as a reason to refuse Tosh‟s
desire for sex. She is never complaint, never share her feeling about their bed,
when Tosh needed, Angelou will do it as her responsibility. This sexual
satisfaction is defined as the affective response arising from Angelou‟s evaluation
about Tosh in the end. The evaluation in the end of their marriage is a negative
evaluation. How Angelou respond Tosh‟s demand to her about their sexual
relation is not fulfill Angelou‟s expectation.
B. Maya Angelou is Struggle to be an Independent Woman
After analyzing the characterization of Angelou and Clyde in Singin’ and
Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas, this part aims to answer the second
formulated question How does Maya Angelou manage herself being an
independent women, being who really she is. How her action is the part of her
movement as an independent struggle women.
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1. Maya Angelou’s Trigger for Being an Independent Women
Maya Angelou‟s struggle were divided by three, there are the divorce,
belief, and the economic problems.
a. The Divorce
The existence of the male support make Angelou‟s character of
independent is worn off. Angelou is surrendering more of her territory of
independence. Her vow in her marriage is the evidence that marriage can turn
people into other character. “I would be an obedient, dutiful wife, restricting our
arguments to semantic differences, never contradicting the substance of his view”
(Angelou, 1977: 30). The patriarchal tradition make Angelou must always life
under the word of the husband. Marriage itself for Maya Angelou is a contract for
a wife to provide her husband with the custodial right.
We can conclude for the Angelou crisis of her independence she is agree
with Tosh‟s order to stop her job and only to be a housewife, “We rented a large
flat, and on Tosh‟s orders I quit my job.” (Angelou, 1977: 26). The „order‟ from
Tosh is a mantra for Angelou to do the things that her husband wants. Her
oppression as a single mother who must make her living by herself make the offer
for only is a housewife as a new interesting offer for her life experiences. A new
man who come and enter the structure of Angelou‟s family. Angelou character
who is independent and always doing anything by herself, in her marriage she was
push to be a housewife who controlled by a man.
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In the Emily J. Miner paper titled Mate Value and Insult, their
participants first read statements is “Men sometimes try to hurt their partner‟s
feeling by saying insulting things to them. The following list includes insulting
things that a man might say to his partner”. This statement is suitable with the
final case that Angelou break out about her divorced. With his soft and tender
voice he said, “I think I‟m just tired of being married” (Angelou, 1977: 37). This
strike make a quick shock to Angelou. The statement of “tired of getting
marriage”, for Angelou is a declaration for divorce. “My marriage was over, since
I believed the legal bonds were only as good as the emotional desire to make them
good. If a person didn‟t want you, he didn‟t want you” (Angelou, 1977: 39).
Divorce life is never easy for her. Tosh is a short happiness for her and
her son, but their marriage also has taken many things from her. Her territory as
religious women is the one of the reason why she tries so hard to struggle by
herself and didn‟t take any longer help from Tosh, her former husband. Her
movements are come systematically. From her divorce Angelou‟s personal
growth, self-awareness and occupational success make her step as a declaration of
her independence. These benefits may be related to their increased sense of
freedom and independence to Angelou. The force to gets a new better life for
herself and her son is the reason why Angelou trying so hard to push herself from
Tosh.
Her decision for divorce is the step of her to be a struggle and
independent woman. Her experience of heartbroken makes her reason to have an
independent life stronger. “Again a white man had taken a Black woman‟s body
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and left her hopeless, helpless and alone. But I couldn‟t accept their sympathy.”
(Angelou, 1977: 38). When his husband statement is the tiredness of getting
married, she left him. As she stated in the book, “If a person didn‟t want you, he
didn‟t want you.” (Angelou, 1977: 39). She did not want to throw herself to
another pity from Tosh. She knows Tosh will help her and her son. He will
tolerate them to life in his house, and fulfill their needs. “But begging had always
stuck, resisting, in my throat.” (Angelou, 1977: 39). She shows her power to end
her short marriage with Tosh. She is born again as an independent alone mother,
no longer a dutiful housewife with any responsibility below a man control.
b. Belief
Before the divorcement, Angelou first movement with Tosh is about her
believe dilemma. The difficulty in personal communication is the major problem
for Angelou and Tosh. When Tosh told that there was no God, but she believes
the existing of God, a conflict happens inside Angelou herself. “I knew I was a
child of a God who existed but also the wife of a husband who was angered at my
belief”. She lives in the mid sets of a patriarchy world, in the stage she
surrendered. In this stage, she felt that she have not power. “He had been a debater
at his university and told me that he could have argued either side with the same
power...”. The difference of the education status makes her stay in her place and
felt she is not equal in the statement and idea of something.
Her step to get her believes is the step of her to get what she wants. This
small step is the example of “woman movement” that she does to get the freedom
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for herself. A stated by Maggie Humm feminism itself is an interdisciplinary
reader containing extracts from a wide range of past and present, so this means
every step of all Angelou actions can be the first step in the feminist movement.
“Divorce benefits some individuals, leads other to experience temporary
decrements in well-being that improve over time, and forces others on a
downward cycle from which they might never fully recover” (Amato, 2000:
1282).
c. Economy
A marriage and the house keeping is a new job for Angelou for a year.
Housework is work. Housework is also, of course, unpaid, and performs within
social relations very different from those of capitalist production. All the
housework that Angelou do based on the responsibilities that she must do because
she gets the support from her husband. She stopped all things that she do by
herself and for self to make her live under the male support. The economy support
make Maya Angelou‟s life stable if we see based on the economy, but based on
the her career, she is did nothing in that time.
The desire for Angelou to have the perfect family life like other in the
society makes her life under the conveniences of male support. She stops her
work, her career and limiting herself to achieve the success by her and for her. She
loses her possibility to be an independent woman and sacrifices her independent
character for the economy steady. Tosh‟s economic power within families was
reflected in the distribution of household resources for Angelou and her son.
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Tosh tired with marriage, this is why Angelou leave him. The separated
leave the heartbroken and sadness Clyde with her mother again, life without a
figure of a man in their family circles. Being a single mother once again make
Clyde is the priority of her. The economy status is the another problem for single
Maya Angelou. After she left Tosh, the economy support from him is stopped and
she never ask him to help her in her problems.
“... I had worked very hard to impressing Clyde that I was reliable, that in
any conflict I was in his side ... I had to make him know he had support”
(Angelou, 1977: 98).
Based on Beauvoir stated in the book, there is no doubt that they get
economic independence only as members of a class which is economically
oppressed; and the other hand, their jobs in the factory do not relieve them of
housekeeping burdens (Beauvoir, 2011: 680). “The though texture of poverty in
my life had been more real than sand wedged between my teeth” (Angelou, 1977:
15). Her backgrounds as a single working mother who struggle off in the bill
makes Angelou have a strong character as a woman. The marriage is the way for
Angelou to try a new world. She could solve her economic problem with her
marriage.
2. The Independence of Maya Angelou
Angelou receives some piece of the marriage world as property; She
takes his husband family name, she must follows Tosh‟ belief, integrates into
Tosh‟s class. All things from Tosh world is hers. In her marriage she seek an
expansion, a confirmation about her existence in the house, she felt she is freely to
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doing all the charge in their house, but it‟s all a work. Her desires to maintain all
things in her home, the food and the housework are she destined as a marriage
woman.
In the chapter four in the first paragraph Angelou shows us her happy
marriage life. She bust keeping the spotless house, learning how to cooks and
serve gourmet food, and managing her happy life (Angelou, 1977; 29). Based on
the Angelou statement about anything that she does in her marriage, marriage is
more than a career than a pleasure of a life. As we looked in the Angelou‟s
writing about her marriage life, her creativity and her career are stopped when she
start her marriage with Tosh. The convenience of masculine support are very
tempting for Angelou, she risk her life and her career with the new discipline that
implied in the marital world.
“During the first year of marriage I was so enchanted with security and
living with a person whose color or lack of it could startle me on an
early-morning waking, I was so busy keeping a spotless house, teaching
myself to cook and serve gourmet meals and managing a happy
rambunctious growing boy that I had little time to notice public relations
to us.” (Angelou, 1977: 29).
The benefit that she shows in her book is the character building as an
independent woman. The best side of her personal is her way of thinking to solve
her problems with anything that she can do at that time. When Maya Angelou told
her mother about the divorced, her mother only said, “Well, as I always say, „NO
matter how good a fellow seems outside, you have to take him home to know
him.‟ ”. Angelou‟s mother shows her how life could be. There is nothing we can
do and know before the time is come. All dreams that Angelou have about the
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beautiful happy marriage is over, and she never know it, but it come and make her
stronger then before as a single working mother.
“My pride had not allowed me to ask Tosh for money, but he had left me
the small bank account and it was dwindling fast.” (Angelou, 1977: 43). She had
to get a job after Tosh leave her. She needs to afford her son‟s baby sitter and also
their needs for life. Her confidence is the key to open her new career as an
entertainer. “Well, I am a dancer. I might not have a fancy costume, and I may not
have a routine, but I can dance. So don‟t try to make me look small” (Angelou,
1977: 46). She is a colored girl who tries to be a sexy dancer in the middle of
white working space, Garden of Allah. When she gets the job her first caution is
about her color issues, “we‟ve never had a colored girl here before, so people
might say something” (Angelou, 1977: 51). This issue is not a big issue for herself
to doing her work as a sexy dancer, but she used it as a pride for her to doing best
at work.
Her rebellion movement as an independent woman shows up in the
cabaret shows business, The Purple Onion. This is Angelou‟s second job as an
entertainer. The interesting things when she picks up her exotic stage name, her
two names she chooses, based on her past that she had. The first one is from the
nickname that her brother give to her, “My brother has always called me Maya for
„Marguerite‟, He used to cal „My sister,‟ then he called „My,‟ and finally, „Maya‟
” (Angelou, 1977: 84). Then for her second last name, she chose her ex-husband
family name „Angelos‟, “My marriage name is Angelos” (Angelou, 1977: 84).
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The idea of her name choice based on her past shows us how Agelou described
her character as a result for all past that she had.
She chooses her name and used it until the day of her death. She also
used it on all her books that she wrote. She built her character and identity through
the past. She did not use it to embarrass herself as widower. She used it as a
symbol of herself to show her rebellion as an independent struggle woman who
cans life by her own career and her idea about her independent ideal life. Name is
an important thing for Angelou herself. She believed that her name is meaningful.
“It‟s all right for you, Marguerite, but it doesn‟t do anything for her”,
said Lloyd (Angelou, 1977: 83). When Lloyd comments her „Marguerite‟, and he
shows his disrespect Angelou‟s name because her name is similar with her boss
Marguerite Clark and she is white, with her proud Angelou declare her name in
her book. “I had been named for my maternal grandmother, who would not have
taken kindly to that statement” (Angelou, 1977: 83). This statement shows us that,
is not easy for her change her birth name to something else in that time. Naming is
important for her, and she know it, when she changed it she has a new opportunity
for her life. “I had a job, a drama coach, a pianist who was going to provide me
with lead sheets, and I had a new name (I wondered if I‟d ever feel it described
the me myself of me”. (Angelou, 1977: 85).
“Oh, the holiness of always being the injured party. The historically
oppressed can find not only sanctity but safety in the state of
victimization. When access to a better life has been denied often enough,
and successfully enough, one can use the rejection as an excuse to cease
all efforts. After all, one reckons, „they‟ don‟t want me, „they‟ accept
their own mediocrity and refuse my best, „they‟ don‟t deserve me”
(Angelou, 1977:75)
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In her statement, Angelou shows the reader how she must suppose to be
in the society. She knows how to put herself into. When she felt it was not a right
place for her she will walk out and embrace her attitude. She has every right to
everything she does. She shows her attitude as an independent self. This
independence is not about how she get something valuable like money but this is
about how she behave to be herself.
In the end of her story in the book, Angelou could find her success as an
entertainer. Her dream to have everything for her and her son is getting real. “I
could find an apartment and send for Clyde” (Angelou, 1977: 163). It is easy for
her in her success to getting anything that they needs. Her struggle to be an
independent woman is hard at first, but any hard work that she did could bring her
into a success. She could get her hobbies as a job, and she could fulfill her small
little family‟s needs. “Maya Angelou was a crazy success. A smash hit! The
audience thought they had never been better entertained” (Angelou, 1977: 160).
She hit her career with her success. All her struggle of being independent is
satisfactory result that she gets.
She could stands by herself and did not need man‟s support again in her
life. “I am not marrying anyone, And surely not another Greeks” (Angelou, 1977:
214). Her denial to another Greek‟s man is not because her traumatic past. Her
refusal into the Greeks, who propose her, shows us how she could stand by her
own and could run her own life. “I knew I would never marry again, nor would I
be the cause of a marriage breaking up” (Angelou, 1977: 215).
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A woman knows how to put herself into. When Angelou received a letter
from her mom about the condition of her son, she try to come back for her son in
one month. She still in a contract with Porgy and Bess and this contract make her
so hard to go to her son. She needs money to get a replacement for her role. For
two month she is not only work in the opera and sang at Bricktop‟s but also found
daytime employment. She charges them as much as they could afford, because
more work for her, more money she could get. “I had left my son to go
gallivanting in strange countries and had every minute except the time when I
thought about him” (Angelou, 1977: 230). Maya Angelou shows us to be an
independent woman is not meaning to life alone without anybody else. Being an
independent woman is knows how you can place yourself in the right role and in
the right time. She knows when she put herself as an entertainer and when she
must to be a mother. “Although I was not a great singer I was his mother, and he
was my wonderful, dependently independent son” (Angelou, 1977: 242).
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
After analyzing the novel autobiography Singin’ and Swingin’ and
Gettin’ Marry Like Christmas in the previous chapter, the writer can take
conclusions from the analysis. Maya Angelou‟s characterizations as the main
character in her book are already explained in the chapter IV. By using the theory
of characterization M. J. Murphy about the characterization in the aspect of a
novel, Angelou‟s characteristics are analyzed. It is found that Maya Angelou has
strong characteristics in the story. Angelou‟s characteristics are observed through
her relationships around her. She is present as a hard-working, strong, optimistic,
religious, smart and talented.
Tosh characterization also explained in the previous chapters to help
writer analyze the character of Maya Angelou herself.. The importance of this
character is, Tosh is the one of the reason why Angelou work harder and can
shows herself as an independent woman through her action. Tosh is attractive and
lovable husband for Angelou. Her first impression for Tosh is amazing.
Angelou‟s background who is single working mother who must live in
the bill make a marriage that she had is unbelievable. She is an obedient, dutiful
wife who never contradicting anything in their marriage. The conveniences of
masculine support are very tempting for Angelou, compare with the risk of career
and with the discipline that she must did in the outside.
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Maya Angelou is a single working mother. She always gives her priority
for her son above everything. Her marriage for her son is not only about herself,
but also to put a father characters in Clyde‟s life. She got man value on her
marriage but also the limitation as a wife. Having any religion is a mistake in her
marriage. Tosh is an atheist but Angelou believed in God. This restriction is the
first conflict in their marriage. Her step to pass the religion boundary is evidence
that she has the power to gets what she wants. This movement is a simple example
that Angelou shows us about her struggle. Based on her action in her life we could
seen her struggle being independent.
Her divorce used by Angelou‟s herself as a power to have an independent
women and life without any help from a man. After the divorce, she never ask any
money from Tosh. She believes her struggle to have an independent life from her
own way. Her job after her divorce as a sexy dance makes an opportunity as an
entertainer open widely. She never depends on husband‟s income anymore.
Having the name of her ex-husband name in her stage name does not make her
life under the control of her ex-husband. She used her experiences as a remander
for her independent and take the control of herself.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Angelou, Maya. Singin’ and Singin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas by Maya
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Beauvoir, Simone de. The Second Sex. New York: Vintage Book, 1989.
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APPENDIX
The Summary of Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas
The story was began with Maya Angelou found a new job living. One
day, when she had two hours between her jobs, she came to in a record store in
San Francisco. She met the owner, Loiuse Cox and she offered Angelou a job as a
sales girl in the record store. At the first time Angelou met her boss she was
suspicious with her generosity and the friendship she offered to her. At that time,
Angelou had a racial issues going in her about white people. After several month
she worked there she could get fun and enjoy her job. The job allowed her to
move back with her mother‟s house and enjoy her time with her son, Clyde.
While she worked in the store, Angelou met a Greek man sailor, Tosh.
The lovable Tosh made Angelou and her son love him and Angelou accepted the
marriage proposal from Tosh. Against her mother‟s wishes because the race
differences between them, Angelou marries Tosh in 1952. At first, their marriage
seems very special for her. The marriage is her successes to fulfill her dreamed
being a housewife. After several time of the marriage, Angelou found many
conflicts of interest between them. Maya disturbed by Tosh‟s atheism and his
demand to controled all things that she must do in the house. Angelou herself is a
religious person, in her rebel Angelou went to different church every Sunday.
When her marriage finally dissolved, money is another problem for her.
Her pride not allowed her to ask Tosh for money, this is why she must found a
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new job as soon as possible. She need to paid their need and for the baby-sitter.
Garden of Allah is her first place she try being a sexy dancer. At first, she thought
she is work as a dance, but in her first week, her boss gave her a last chance to
work there. She must sold the drinks to all customers in Garden of Allah. She
needs the job and the money, this why she is worked hard in her job. After two
month of worked in the strip joint, she is made money more than other girls in the
house, but the boss complained her. She must be promised to sleep with the
clients if she wants the job. Then she stopped worked there and starts looking to
another place.
Next, she got a recommendation from the owner of a famous nightclub in
San Francisco, The Purple Onion. She sets a job as a dancer and singer in that
place. In her first step as an entertainer worker, she changes her name from
Marguerite Johnson to a more exotic name, Maya Angelou. In this new place she
had a job, drama coach, a pianist who was going to provide her needs, and a new
name. Her debut in at The Purple Onion is a success. She got the popularity and
also money for her son. She knows when to stop in one place and go to another
place bigger to gets her success more than that.
When her contract expires, Angelou goes to an audition for a part
opposite Pearl Bailey, Broadway show in New York City, but she turns the part
down and joins Porgy and Bess European tour. She travels to 22 countries with
the group. She was left her son with her mother. Clyde is no father and with no
mother also because of the job. In her success and her popularity as an entertainer,
she quits the tour and returned to her son in San Francisco. She promised her son
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she‟ll never leave him again. She will go, when her son went, and he will went
with her or she‟ll go anywhere. Angelou is true to her promised, she accepted a
performing job in Hawaii, and she brings Clyde with her. In her last sentence in
her book she write “Although I was not a great singer I was his mother, and he
was my wonderful, dependently independent son”.
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